By midafternoon, the armory was spotless. Every blade gleamed. The racks were in order. Even the old creaky door was oiled, now swinging shut with nothing but a rush of air.
Now, Cadre was hauling a heavy sack of flower seeds across the stone path toward the courtyard, grumbling under her breath.
Sonder walked beside her, hands folded behind her back.
The sack was heavier than Cadre expected. It was filled with seed bundles from across the kingdom, with names she could barely remember. She knew one with dark purple petals; her mother loved them.
It wasn't just heavy—it was awkward, bulky, and shifted with every step. And though Sonder had offered to help, Cadre had insisted on carrying it herself.
By the time they reached the courtyard, Cadre's arms were burning, but she didn't stop. Not until she dropped the sack with a dull thud onto the dirt of the courtyard.
She bent over, hands on her knees, catching her breath.
"I bet this would be way easier with magic," she muttered, glaring at the sack. "Just lift it with your mind. Float it around. Maybe throw it at someone for fun."
"You'd still need to train first," Sonder said. "Like with a sword. Magic takes effort. You build strength over time, body or otherwise."
Cadre groaned. "That sounds like something my grandfather would say."
"It's something Vell—my father says," Sonder replied. "And they're both right."
Cadre flopped onto the grass, arms sprawled out beside her. "That sounds exactly like something you'd say."
Sonder sat next to her, legs folded neatly beneath her.
Cadre glanced toward the sack. "Could you really lift it? With magic?"
"I think so."
"Like, easily?"
"Not effortlessly," Sonder said. "But I wouldn't need to use my arms—no, I do still need to move my hands," she said, lifting one and wiggling her fingers a little.
Cadre stared at the sack again. "Still feels unfair."
She hesitated, then added, "Can you show me something? Just a little magic?"
Sonder tilted her head, unsure.
"I'm not asking for anything big," Cadre said quickly. "Just… I've never really seen it before. Not properly. I've only heard stories."
Sonder looked up at the clear sky, then nodded. "Alright."
She rose and stepped into the center of the courtyard. Her feet were firmly planted on the stone, her posture calm. She raised her hands slowly, palms up.
At first, nothing.
Then—light.
Tiny motes shimmered into view, like bits of glowing dust floating in sunbeams. But these danced around her fingers with purpose, glimmering in soft blue hues. She moved her hands gently, and the lights followed like a trail of stars tracing her motion.
"That's beautiful," Cadre said.
But Sonder wasn't done.
She pressed her foot down. A soft hum followed, and beneath her, a glowing platform bloomed into being—thin and translucent, but solid. Hovering just above the ground.
She stepped up onto it, and another platform formed beneath her next step. Then another. Then another.
Cadre stood, wide-eyed, as Sonder climbed into the air, each glowing step appearing only when her foot moved. She rose higher, ten steps up, until she was standing above the courtyard like she was walking on light.
She looked down—and froze for a moment, realizing how high she'd gone.
The sunlight caught the magic around her, scattering tiny, bright prisms onto the stone below.
Cadre didn't speak. She just stared—silent, stunned.
Then Sonder lifted her hand, and the platform beneath her began to descend. Smoothly, gently, until her boots touched back down on solid ground.
The motes of light dissolved. The magic faded.
Cadre blinked. "That was…"
Sonder brushed off her palms. "...a little more than I planned."